Backing the Right Horse
by Roslin Fan
Summary: Laura muses how New Caprica changed everything she thought she knew about politics, especially concerning a certain former terrorist...


New Caprica changed everything Laura thought she knew about politics.

Prior to the attacks, Laura had spent the last several years watching President Adar, studying his political plays. She wasn't sure why it fascinated her to do so-she'd never liked politics and still didn't care for them. Perhaps it was her drive to learn, to understand. The educator turned politician was a student at heart.

When the bombs started falling on the Colonies, Laura knew she'd need the skills she'd picked up from Richard. She'd hoped he'd lived, of course, but she knew she'd be moving up the food chain by the end of the day. When the kind captain told her she was the rightful President of the Twelve Colonies, she wasn't at all surprised. She mourned Richard in the time it took to put on her shawl, and she went to work.

The cancer had put a wrench in her plans. Not that it was a surprise. She'd obviously known about that before she ascended to the Presidency. But it was another item to consider. She knew she didn't have long. She'd need some kind of plan of succession. There were the obvious choices, like Wally. Wally was steadfast and loyal. He'd work hard for the people of the fleet. He was smart enough to work alongside Commander Adama, rather than try to bump heads with him. But did he really have what it took? Laura wasn't sure.

Then there was Captain Apollo. He was too young, but his heart was in the right place. He asked her questions and paid attention to her answers. He was interested. One day he'd be a fine President.

Billy would too. He'd come a long way since the attacks. So had she. If humanity survived long enough, Billy would be the perfect President when he was older. When he'd lost some of his innocence. Not that she wanted that for him. He was so good, sweet. She'd known very few people like him, especially when she got into politics (and there were some brutal dogfights in the education realm as well). She shook her head. She'd lived in a dog-eat-dog world for most of her life-and she survived, for whatever that was worth. Billy would have to spend some time in that world if he were to become battle-worthy to take the mantle-and then he'd lose all that had made him so good. She was glad she'd be long dead before she'd see that.

In the end, she ended up with Baltar as her Vice President. It seemed like a good idea, at the time. He was weak and sniffling. Easy to control. She could retain power while she lived, and rest easy knowing Commander Adama would handle him-and the fleet-after she died. Even when she and Adama didn't get along, she knew she could trust him. Even the thought that he was a cylon didn't destroy her trust in him. Nor did her time in the brig. In any event, Baltar had the quality of not being a terrorist, and that was what made him the ideal candidate in a non-ideal world.

But New Caprica changed everything she thought she knew about politics. First, she'd lost the election to the man who'd been down so many points before that _frakking planet_. The _terrorist_ became the Vice President, and she was downgraded to _schoolteacher._ At least Bill still had his power as Admiral. And she was biding her time, waiting for them to make enough mistakes. It wouldn't take long. One year into the Baltar/Zarek administration and everything was a total mess. The people had started going to her for council, advice, a sympathetic ear. She made it clear there was little she could do for them, but they kept coming in droves. Then the cylons came back.

She heard Zarek had been arrested, but she never came across him when she was in detention. None of her contacts within the resistance had heard much about him. And it wasn't a concern of hers. Not when she was more concerned about Admiral Adama's whereabouts. Was he dead? Was he coming back? Part of her wanted him to take what was left of the fleet and follow the path to Earth. The other part wanted him to come back, kill all the cylons and then Baltar, like the reluctant heroes in the action movies she used to watch with her father on Saturday afternoons. The ones her mother had called trash. Laura loved those movies.

Then she learned of Zarek's whereabouts. He'd taken a stand against the cylons and nearly lost his life for the trouble, same as Laura, or Saul, or any other member of the resistance. Zarek was a man of principle. That made him different from Baltar. But did that make him better? Had she backed the wrong horse on Colonial Day? She shook her head. It didn't matter. With Baltar gone, Vice President Zarek was now President Zarek.

"Laura?"

She blinked, regaining her focus. She was standing on Colonial One, but she wasn't its President. The place still had the stench of depravity from its previous occupant. Although, she was pleased to see President Zarek was taking pains to bring it to order. She didn't like him, and she didn't trust him, but he wasn't a bad President. Adar would have been more impressed with him than he'd have been with her. That was for sure.

"Sorry, Tom. Please continue." She smiled, hoping that would prevent further discussion into where she'd been. She wasn't sure she had the capability to lie at the moment.

"As I was saying, your bulldog-"

She shot him a look.

"Err, Admiral Adama made it perfectly clear I would find myself in his brig if I held onto power for too long."

She smirked. "One more thing we'd have in common, right?"

He laughed. "You know, it seems so long ago, I forgot all about that."

"Yeah. Me too." She took a breath. Back to business. "What do you suggest?"

"The office is yours. I'm just keeping it warm for you."

"You'll give it up. Just like that?"

He nodded. "All I ask is that you keep me involved."

And there it was. She couldn't give him a task, like cylon detection, and expect him to stay out of her hair like she could with Baltar. He wanted to be around-and he would be regardless of her wishes or attempts to dissuade him.

She knew exactly what to do with that. He'd proven to be an effective Vice President at least. He would serve her administration well. She'd keep him close-and keep an eye on him.

He'd throw her under a bus the first chance he got, but she'd put him out an airlock first. They really were quite a pair.

She smiled. "How does Vice President sound to you, Mr. Zarek?"

"That's exactly what I had in mind, Madame President." He smiled and offered his hand.

She took it, shook it, and kissed his cheek, just like she had the day they met.

"Well played," he said, in her ear.

"Thank you."


End file.
